The Rams have their third-consecutive prime-time game to start the 2026 season, heading to play the Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Kickoff for Week 3 against the Broncos in Denver is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. PT on NBC.
Ahead of the contest, here are 3 Keys to Winning for the Rams, presented by The Law Offices of Jacob Emrani (CallJacob.com).
1) Limit the Broncos pass game
Achieving the first key for the Rams can happen one of two ways. Los Angeles can either generate pressure and contain quarterback Bo Nix in the backfield, or the Rams secondary can lock down a strong wide receiver core led by Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton. Bonus if the Rams can achieve both.
Nix didn't use his legs all that much in the first two weeks of the season, and that's not to say he won't against Los Angeles. But the biggest difference between Week 1 and Week 2 was Nix's 131 passing yards to 288 passing yards. It's hard not to draw a correlation of a loss to a win when an offense puts up 10 points versus 20 points to go alongside Nix's night and day performances. Waddle also finished with 136 more yards in Week 2 after putting up just 2 yards against the Chiefs in Week 1.
Whether it's making Nix uncomfortable in the pocket or giving him no options downfield, or both, the difference between a win and a loss for the Rams could be as simple as it was for the Broncos offense through two weeks.
2) Get both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum going in the run game
The Chiefs ran all over the Broncos in Week 1, almost entirely led by running back Kenneth Walker III who had 173 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. In Week 2, the Broncos defense did a much better job keeping the Jaguars one dimensional by holding running back Bhayshul Tuten to 65 yards on 13 carries.
Both of those teams rely on one lead back, but for a Rams team that can interchangeably play their two running backs, Williams and Corum could help tire out the defense early on to open up more for themselves and the Rams passing attack later in the game.
The Broncos stormed back on offense in the final minutes of Week 2 to overcome a 13-6 deficit against Jacksonville, and that was partially due to everything falling flat for the Jaguars offense. So to stay ahead of pace, the Rams' efficiency with both running backs could prove crucial to keeping possession and not allowing a comeback if they can get going early.
3) Rams offensive line keeps pace
The Broncos defense presents a real challenge for any offense with a strong mixture of great players in their front seven and All-Pro level talent in the secondary. To accomplish the second key of getting both Williams and Corum going, in addition to giving quarterback Matthew Stafford more time in the pocket to dissect Denver's secondary, the offensive line needs to produce at a similar clip as the first two weeks of the season.
The interior of the Rams offensive line has especially done well in the run game and protecting Stafford. Coleman Shelton ranks first in both offensive grade and run blocking grade among all NFL centers, and both Kevin Dotson and Steve Avila rank in the top six in run blocking among NFL guards with Avila in fifth for overall offensive grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
The more time the offensive line gives Stafford and the more space they and the tight ends give Williams and Corum, the easier everything will be for the Rams to operate their offense in a challenging Denver environment.
